Registration is going strong for the 2009 Every Woman in the World Conference, which takes place from May 22 to 24, and organizers have sweetened the deal for locals looking to take part.
This week they've announced a series of new discounts. To get the Pique discount, type PIQUE into the discount code window to get $50 off registration. If you're a Whistler local you can get another 10 per cent off by typing in the code WLOCAL, and if you register with a group of three or more you can get an additional 10 per cent off, for a total discount over $100 per person. The deadline is May 15 at www.everywoman.ca.
In addition, the organizers have created two new packages that link up with local events, a RunWalk Whistler 5K-10K Race Package that includes the Whistler Valley Trail Run, and a triathlon package that includes the Whistler Triathlon Club's Adult Try-a-Tri.
Kerri Carlson, who started the Every Woman conference five years ago with her sister, Olympic track and field athlete Lynn Kanuka, says the event has grown to a new level.
"This just gets bigger and grows every year, and we've got new sponsorship which is exciting for us," said Carlson. "We just finished Every Woman Powell River, which was fantastic. We'll be doing other community events, with Whistler as our gala location."
The motto of Every Woman is "Inspiring Women Through Physical Activity," and this year's theme is "Keep Moving."
Every Women includes 75 different workshops and events that range from dance to yoga to strength and fitness training to financial planning. Most take place at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, but other workshops branch out into the valley. A complete list of workshops is at www.everywoman.ca.
As well as the workshops there are some group events and guest speakers. The speaker at Saturday's Celebration of Movement dinner is comedienne Christine Lipps of Rock.Paper.Scissors Inc. The wrap up lunch features Stephanie Tait of Run for One Planet. Tait has just completed a 17,000 kilometre run across Canada and the U.S. to raise awareness of environmental issues, completing almost a full marathon every day.
"She epitomizes what it means to move and her inspiration will be nothing short of incredible," said Kanuka, who is herself a bronze medalist in the 3,000 metre dash in the 1984 Olympic Games. "Stephanie encompasses the concept that the sky is the limit in what we can accomplish."
Ore Crusher rolls next weekend
Registration is still open for the annual Ore Crusher cross country mountain bike race, taking place Saturday, May 16 in Brackendale.
With a 6 km course on mostly singletrack trails in the Cheekeye Fan area, the Ore Crusher is one of the easiest mountain bike races with no major hills or descents, but the challenge is the pace - no descents means no time to rest for the riders.
It's a classic lap race, with participants doing anywhere from one to six laps depending on their category. There are categories for kids 12 and older as well as pro-elite categories for men and women.
To sweeten the deal the organizers are giving away an entry into the 2010 Test of Metal to the winners of each category, and a total of 22 entries are available.
If you have a place in the Test of Metal and are planning to race the GearJammer in July, the Ore Crusher is also the first event of the Squamish Triple Crown where results from all three events will count towards an overall ranking.
Registration is available online at www.orecrusher.com, and is available at Don Ross Secondary until 10 a.m., one hour before the official race start.
Tuesday night trail runs return
Whether you're looking for inspiration, trail running tips or a social group to run with, local distance athletes Duncan Munro and Christine Suter are bringing back Tuesday night trail runs at The Escape Route, with groups for beginner, intermediate and advanced runners.
The first run is on May 12, meeting at Escape Route in Whistler Marketplace by 5:45 p.m. The run and clinic starts at 6 p.m., and lasts approximately one hour. The cost is $5 to drop in.
As well, the last Tuesday of every month is hash run night, with everybody running as a group while following markings on the trail. The hash run allows fast and slow runners to stick together as the faster runners split up at trail intersections to look for the next clue.
Strand on podium
Whistler's Katrina Strand recovered from a crash on a corner to place third at the Fluidride Cup, the first stop of the Pro Gravity MTB Race Tour at Port Angeles, Washington this past weekend. She finished behind top World Cup racers Katie Holden and Kathy Pruitt. She was just a few seconds behind Pruitt and second place, but Holden was almost half a minute faster with a time that would have put her in the top five in the men's race.
Also from Whistler, Rebecca McQueen placed 10 th overall.
The top Canadian in the men's race was Andrew Mitchell in fourth place.
Nick Geddes raced in the junior category, placing 23 rd against riders three and four years older. Max Horner was 30 th .
Zander Geddes competed in Category II 14 and Under, placing second.
The Pro Gravity tour replaces the NORBA downhill series this year as the top pro-am race circuit in the U.S.
Marathoner supports SPCA
Part-time Pembertonian Nicole Brink is looking for pledges to for the B.C. SPCA for completing the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon on June 28, raising $100 for every mile for a total of $1,300.
She's running for her dog Freddie who passed away in March. Freddie was a B.C. SPCA dog.
She has currently raised almost 75 per cent of that goal, and sits in second place in the overall pledge list for the half marathon while bumping the B.C. SPCA into first place for charities.
To make a donation visit www.canadarunningseries.com and click on the Donate tab.
Youth soccer club hires technical director
Armed with the Community Enrichment Program grant, the Whistler Youth Soccer Club has taken the step of hiring a technical director for the season, following 14 years of administration by volunteer parents.
Steve September will assist the coaches to develop plans and programs for their age groups, while assisting players and coaches in developing soccer skills, team play and game comprehension. Part of that involves moving kids aged 12 to a full-size field with 11 players on the field.
September will also organize summer camps, speakers, clinics and more to educate players and coaches on skills, nutrition, fitness, strategies and the rules of the game. At least two summer camps are in the works this year, with a goal of one day providing camps through the summer.
The club is extremely busy, with upwards of 400 kids each year taking part in leagues, programs and competitive teams. For more information visit www.whistlersoccer.com.
